Clay Jenkins returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Bakerahis classmate and crush, who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list. This is a desperate, heartbreaking, yet ultimately hopeful novel.

Jay Asher got the idea for Thirteen Reasons Why at a museum. While taking an audio tour, he was struck by the eeriness of the voice in his ear - a woman who described everything he was looking at , but wasn't there. Jay has worked in various bookstores and lives in California. The US bestseller, Thirteen Reasons Why, is his debut novel.